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Topic Review (Newest First)

12-16-2009 07:32 AM

tommays

Well

There are a lot of different skin shades and some just need protection

That is still going on groundhog. Common sense says that we evolved as a species out in the sunlight, our bodies even react by creating more protection for itself the more you expose yourself to sunlight, we even need sunlight to create vitamins that we need.......

OK, I do believe there is a pushing industry behind several marketing, testing, and tutorials about sunburn. But things are not that simple either. First you cannot overlook the change on climate and ionosphere, or simply put, the UV radiation has increased since it was first measured decades ago. We're now living in a different environment. Second, you should remember that many people are still alive due to technology, I'm serious; I use thick glass lenses to achieve only 75% of a good vision, so imagine if I had to count on my eyes to hunt and bring food home, or to defend my cave. I'd be extinguished by now!! Likewise, many people that would not survive on a sunny climate due to genetics, skin , etc... welll, would not survive ! Third, we feed ourselves way different today. A simple man now farm for thousands, food industry feed hundreds of thousands and that pose a major threat/change to our body compound; it's not the same anymore. Considering the geometric increase in world population, sunscreen has found its way to prevent some people disappearing. And probably there are several other factors I'm not aware of. I agree with you that there is a "freak" behaviour pushing to increase sunscreen use (specially with kids) but if we'd follow doctor instructions, we'd go out just for a couple of hours a day (to do photosintesis) .... Well, I'm really delighted to read all these posts and learning on many ideas I'll put in practice this summer.

I have never used a sunblock, I am 61 years old and no cancer or any sign of it. I hate sunblock of any sort, it makes my hands sticky, it rubs off all over the boat, it stinks and it leaks into my chart table .

I am 62 and have had spots burned off. Damn genetics.

Use a lotion that is absorbed. Oils should be banned from boats.

12-15-2009 11:31 PM

Omatako

I'm with Wind Magic on this.

I have never used a sunblock, I am 61 years old and no cancer or any sign of it. I hate sunblock of any sort, it makes my hands sticky, it rubs off all over the boat, it stinks and it leaks into my chart table .

If I could ban the stuff on my boat I would but my family swear by it and use a paint-by numbers system of SPF20 over here and SPF30 over there and SPF50 on the other parts.

SPF50??? I believe that means that you can stay in the sun 50 times longer than if you didn't use it. So if I normally can stay in the sun for 20 minutes without burning, I can now stay in the sun for 1000 minutes?? That's over 16 hours. Where in the world can the sun burn you on a boat for that long? And then you are advised to "refresh" it every two hours anyway!!! The whole thing is a money-making crock.

The problem is that if someone gets burned in the sun on your boat they can probably sue you for negligence because you never took due care to protect them. Go figure.

12-14-2009 11:53 PM

alwheeler98

Neutrogena sunscreen or whatever sunscreen I can find for babies. The baby sunscreen is a high spf and whatever the formula is, it seems to work pretty well for my skin.

Plus a hat.

I'm not in the the sun enough to get a protective coating and I've sunburned myself badly enough in the past to learn not want to take chances doing it again. Not a problem when I was a kid, but nowadays...

I usually have a tan by the end of the season, but I might be the only one who can tell. :-)

12-14-2009 08:51 PM

dongreerps

Sunblocks that work

Remember that a mediocre product you use is incredibly better than the worlds best that stays in the bottle. Look for a product called "Sun Stick" Several different formulations are available. Mountaineering stores often carry them - in an expensive form. Look in drugstores for a more reasonable formulation. At any rate they come in a dispensor very much like a chapstick. Stick it in your pocket. When you feel a bit of warmth somewhere on your skin, rub on a coat, and get on with life.

12-14-2009 09:47 AM

merc2dogs

When I lived in Arizona, the best protection I knew of was a long sleeved shirt and a hat for portable shade. Helped to keep you cool and comfortable

Here in Michigan, long sleeves aren't always that fun to wear when humidity climbs, so either short sleeves, or shirtless with a good tan and a hat.
I absolutely HATE the greasy feeling that lotions and creams leave, and the smell of most turns my stomach, so I stay away from them.

Wind Magic has it right, the last few lines echo my feelings perfectly, on both sun protection and pain killers. I read a report a while ago, (pdf on hard drive, but can't find it now) that since sunblocks have become more popular the incidence of skin cancers has increased. People don't burn, so stay out longer.

Ken.

Edit: Noscript seems to run everything together, so trying to clean the post up with it off.

12-13-2009 01:12 PM

wind_magic

That is still going on groundhog. Common sense says that we evolved as a species out in the sunlight, our bodies even react by creating more protection for itself the more you expose yourself to sunlight, we even need sunlight to create vitamins that we need. It is all as natural as trees and tall grass. But then we started staying indoors more, going out later in the season, and getting sunburned because we only get exposed to sunlight on rare occasions and when we do our bodies haven't had time to build up a resistance to it. Then people figure out that they can treat the symptom with salves and potions and the sunscreen industry is born. Now there are questions not only about the sunscreens but whether sunscreens even work - now people who don't have any natural protection are staying outside even longer and getting even more exposure to sunlight because they aren't getting burned because of sunscreens. Apparently just because you aren't getting burned doesn't mean you are "safe". It's one of those situations like when people suffer more joint damage because they are taking pain killers and can't feel the pain that would have told them to stop what they are doing, or the over protective mother who actually causes her children to have asthma by keeping them in an overly clean environment and not allowing them to be exposed to dirt when they are young.

12-13-2009 01:00 PM

groundhog

There has been some controversy in sunblocks that I havent seen anyone mention here...

I read a while back that the ingredients in sunblocks break down when hit by the sun and can create a carcenagenic... ah, cancer causing compound.

They started formulating several solutions to this, but I haven't really seen much on the market that adresses this.

There was an outcry that you could put a product on your skin to protect you from... cancer, and it could be causing cancer.

But its been a year or two since i read this and it's been very quiet since.

12-12-2009 09:07 PM

fullkeel7

I take a medication that warns about exposure to direct sunlight...an understatement. I've found that a light weight long sleave white shirt from Columbia works well. They also sell a light weight hat with a ridiculously large bill and flaps that come well over the ears and a flap to protect the back of the neck. On a 1200 nm trip, I had no problems with burning and that was without any sunscreen. Only drawback...the bill on that sucker would put a duck billed platypus to shame and I make Elmer Fudd look like a prince. For me, I think it's a good look!

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